On his first day in office, President Donald Trump issued an executive order telling top government departments how the federal government would advance the cause of an American architectural renaissance that prioritizes beauty over anti-traditionalism. The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare was instructed to make recommendations. Extremist close-up and ego.
Towards the end of President Trump's first term,
issued New federal buildings are designed not only to serve the American people, but also to “uplift and beautify public space, inspire the human spirit, ennoble America, command respect from the public, and honor local architectural heritage.” It is appropriate to do so.”
Former President Joe Biden apparently didn't feel as strongly about the aesthetic blight of modernist architecture. Rather than abandoning the blocky, concrete-heavy Brutalist style, which first became popular in socialist countries with an apparent aversion to beauty, it was followed by the J. Edgar Hoover Building and the similarly prison-like Hubert H. It was applied to the design of various federal buildings, including the Humphrey Building. President Trump's order was rescinded in Washington, DC.
Biden's expiration leaves only hours left in his presidential term.
On Monday, Trump
instructed The Administrator of the General Services Administration — whose name has yet to be revealed, is responsible for currently carrying Written by Steven Ehikian — In consultation with the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy and heads of federal agencies and departments, submit recommendations to advance beautification policies by March 21.
“They aimed to use classical architecture to visually connect the modern republic with the democratic precursors of classical antiquity.”
President Trump, who previously declared that “America's Golden Age has arrived,” further said in the memo that the recommendations “will consider appropriate modifications for the United States.” Basic principles of federal architecture Steps for incorporating community input into federal architectural design choices. ”
In his 2020 beautification order, President Trump suggested that since America's founding, memorable leaders have strived to construct buildings that inspire and encourage civic virtue and draw tangible connections to the past.
“President George Washington and Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson consciously modeled Washington, D.C.'s most important buildings after the classical architecture of ancient Athens and Rome,” the president wrote. “They used classical architecture to visually connect the modern republic with the democratic precursors of classical antiquity, reminding citizens not only of their rights but also of their responsibility to preserve and perpetuate their institutions.” I tried to.”
While the Founding Fathers and subsequent generations of beauty-conscious leaders recognized the enduring value and civic role of classic buildings, President Trump has made a point in the 1950s when the federal government (apparently (overcoming the zeitgeist) “new architecture began to replace traditional designs with modernist ones.” This practice became official policy after the Federal Government's Select Committee on Office Space proposed what became known as the Guiding Principles for Federal Architecture (Guiding Principles). In 1962, it formally rejected official classicism in favor of modernism.
In the years that followed, cities across the country were visually punished with some of the nation's ugliest structures, intended simply for “architects to admire” rather than for the American public. It happened.
guiding principles
listed At the time of its publication, the General Services Administration's website said that the leftist assumption that newer is necessarily better persisted, stating that “emphasis should be placed on design choices that embody the best of modern American architectural thought. ” was stated.
The guidelines also suggested that the design of federal buildings must “flow” from the architects of the day, not from the People's Government of the United States.
Months before Biden rescinded Trump's order, Harris Insights and Analytics
public opinion poll A survey conducted on behalf of the National Civic Arts Association found that 72% of Americans prefer traditional architecture for federal buildings. There was a large consensus across political lines and age groups.
The poll found that 70% of Democrats, 73% of Republicans and 73% of independents support traditional architecture. Among individuals surveyed between the ages of 18 and 34, 68% said they prefer traditional architecture. This is just a few points lower than baby boomers, 77% of whom preferred older styles.
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Florida) is trying to capitalize on President Trump's initiative in other ways.
introduced A similar proposal was introduced in the Senate, and in 2023, Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) introduced a similar proposal in the House, rehashing the president's executive order comments and addressing the president's policy on improving federal civil buildings. He called for the establishment of a council. This bill does not appear to have any support.
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